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Biomedical subjects

G Schiffman

Publications and source records attributed to G Schiffman.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Response to pneumococcal vaccine in the elderly: no enhancement by indomethacin.

We investigated whether indomethacin administration would augment the antibody response to pneumococcal vaccine in a group of healthy elderly individuals. There was no significant difference in mean increases in antibody levels to 12 pneumococcal polysaccharide types between the 20 subjects who received indomethacin 25 mg q.i.d. for five days after immunization and the control subjects not receiving indomethacin. In addition, there was no correlation within this group of 40 individuals between three measures of immune function (absolute lymphocyte count, delayed hypersensitivity testing, and response to phytohemagglutinin) and the antibody response to the pneumococcal vaccine.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1981

Response to pneumococcal vaccine in renal transplant and hemodialysis patients.

Because of the risk of serious pneumococcal infections in patients receiving a renal transplant, a study was undertaken to determine if pneumococcal vaccine could be administered before or after transplantation. Vaccine was given to recipients of transplants and to patients who were undergoing dialysis. Both groups responded to the vaccine, and although the mean antibody levels were lower than those reported for normal populations, the levels were in the range thought to be protective for most pneumococcal types. Antibody levels, both before and after vaccination, were substantially lower in patients with recent transplants than in patients who were undergoing hemodialysis. Patients who are awaiting renal transplantation can be immunized while they are undergoing hemodialysis. Further study is needed to determine how long antibody levels will persist after vaccination in both patients undergoing hemodialysis and those receiving a transplant.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Comparison of radioimmunoassay and indirect hemagglutination for quantitation of antipneumococcal antibodies.

The RIA and IHA methods to quantitate antipneumococcal antibodies of six capsular types (3, 6A, 8, 12F, 14, and 18C) were compared in 30 paired sera 1 month after pneumococcal immunization. Correlation coefficients for titers were significantly different from zero (p less than 0.001) for all types except 14 and ranged from 0.86 for type 3 to 0.45 for type 18C. In sera that showed a twofold or greater rise by RIA, 50% to 83% showed a fourfold or greater rise by IHA, depending on the capsular type. Conversely, in those sera showing an IHA rise of fourfold or more, 79% to 100% showed an RIA rise of twofold or more. IHA titers correlating with RIA titers greater than or equal to 200 ng AbN/ml varied from 1:16 for type 18C to 1:64 for types 3, 8, and 12F.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMed1981

Effect of cyclophosphamide on the immune response of BALB/c mice bearing an immunoglobulin M plasmacytoma (TEPC-183).

Mice bearing TEPC-183, an immunoglobulin (M(kappa)-secreting plasmacytoma, exhibit severe suppression of their immune responses. Since chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide (CY) is used in the treatment of myeloma, the present study was undertaken to determine its effect on the immune response. CY was tested at different doses in order to establish whether a tumor-lytic dose could be established which would minimally impair the immune response. In addition, CY was injected at different time intervals in respect to antigen administration, and its short- and long-term effects on the immune response were determined. It was found that 1 mg CY suppressed the six-day primary immune response to the type 3 pneumococcal polysaccharide SSS-III, and even a secondary response 30 days later. Three mg CY were required to suppress the primary as well as the secondary immune response elicited by 2,4-dinitrophenyl-hemocyanin. One injection of 1 mg CY per mouse resulted in complete regression of all tumors. Splenectomy did not aid in the recovery of the immune response to SSS-III but accentuated the impairment. The time of CY administration played a crucial role in affecting the immune response. When CY was administered simultaneously with or two days after antigen injection, it was totally suppressive, whereas the immune response was enhanced when CY was given four days prior to antigen injection. Minimal effects were observed when CY was given at other time intervals.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Antibody response to polyvalent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in diabetics.

Ten control volunteers and 40 insulin-dependent diabetics were immunized with polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine (Pneumovax). The populations were similar except that diabetics were significantly older. In a double-blind fashion, diabetics were divided into two groups of 20; one received vaccine at baseline and saline placebo four weeks later. The second received saline, then vaccine. Antibody response was measured by radioimmunoassay. In general, insulin-dependent diabetics responded as quickly and equally as controls. Antibody titers did not decline at eight weeks. Incidence and intensity of adverse reactions were similar among diabetics and controls. There was no correlation between antibody response and age (r=-.078), mean glucose concentration (r=-.096), or duration of diabetes (r=-.064). We conclude that insulin-dependent diabetics respond as well as controls to immunization with pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1980

Intact antibody response to pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides in uremia and diabetes.

To test their immune responsiveness to pneumococcal polysaccharide antigens, eight azotemic patients, ten dialysis patients, and five insulin-dependent diabetics were vaccinated with a 14-valent vaccine. When compared with nonazotemic, nondiabetic control subjects, both diabetics and uremic patients responded with normal antibody titers to each antigen type. Therefore, we are advising immunization with commercially available vaccine in our patients with diabetes, renal failure, or both, although long-term efficacy has yet to be proved.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Response to pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in patients with untreated Hodgkin's disease. Children's Cancer Study Group Report.

Patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) have a high risk of overwhelming pneumococcal infections after splenectomy. Previous studies have shown that HD patients given polyvalent pneumococcal polysaccharide (PPS) vaccine after immunosuppressive therapy have a suboptimum antibody response. This study shows significant antibody response in HD patients to PPS vaccine given before radiation and chemotherapy. The same response was obtained whether the vaccine was given before or after splenectomy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Influence of preimmunization antibody levels on the specificity of the immune response to related polysaccharide antigens.

We studied the influence of preimmunization antibody level on the immune response of adults to one of two structurally related yet immunologically distinct type-specific polysaccharides from Type III Group B streptococcus and Type 14 pneumonococcus. Four weeks after immunization with multivalent pneumococcal vaccine, 20 subjects with low levels of antibody to Type III Group B streptococcus antigen had no significant increase in antibody to this antigen (P greater than 0.05), but all volunteers with moderate to high preimmunization antibody levels who were immunized with Pneumovax had significant increases (P less than 0.01). However, the streptococcal antibody response to pneumococcal Type 14 antigen was weaker and briefer than that in 10 adults given Type III Group B streptococcus vaccine(P less than 0.05). Preimmunization antibody levels influenced the immune response to a structurally similar polysaccharide antigen, but specific Type III polysaccharide antigen appeared necessary to induce a primary antibody response in "nonimmune" adults. We conclude that immunization of mothers with pneumococcal vaccine is not likely to prevent neonatal Type III Group B streptococcal infection, despite immunologic similarities between the two organisms.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Correlation between serum IgG-2 concentrations and the antibody response to bacterial polysaccharide antigens.

We measured serum concentrations of immunoglobulin classes and IgG subclasses in 53 patients who had completed treatment for Hodgkin's disease and in 10 healthy adults. We wished to determine the relation of these classes and subclasses to the subjects' antibody responses to bacterial polysaccharide and viral protein antigens. Mean levels of the IgG-2 subclass were significantly lower in patients treated with both radiation and chemotherapy than in controls (P less than 0.05). The level of IgG-2 before immunization correlated directly with the mean antibody response both to 11 pneumococcal antigens (r = 0.71, P less than 0.001) and to the Haemophilus influenzae Type b antigen (r = 0.40, P less than 0.01). The correlation between IgG-2 concentration and pneumococcal antibody response was also significant in the 10 healthy adults ( r = 0.70, P less than 0.05). The levels of no immunoglobulin class or subclass correlated significantly with antibody responses to influenza A/Victoria/75 and A/New Jersey/76 hemagglutinins, both of which are protein antigens. The serum concentration of IgG-2 appears to provide a marker for predicting the ability to produce antibodies to polysaccharide, but not viral protein, antigens.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Impaired response to pneumococcal vaccine in systemic lupus erythematosus.

An immunization program with pneumococcal vaccine was carried out in 38 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Mean antibody levels at 1 month and 1 year were significantly lower than in normal controls. This decreased response did not correlate with drug therapy at the time of immunization. Other parameters such as anergy state, renal function, and serum immunoglobulin levels also did not correlate with antibody response. There were no adverse effects noted in the vaccinated group in comparison to matched non-vaccinated SLE patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Immunization of patients with Sjögren's syndrome with pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine: a randomized trial.

Thirty-two patients with Sjögren's syndrome were randomly selected to receive either multivalent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine or saline placebo in a double-blind study. Among placebo treated patients, levels of antipneumococcal antibodies remained constant. Immunized patients developed significant elevations of antibody concentrations against all 12 capsular serotypes measured. Levels fell, but persisted above baseline, for 8 of the serotypes 6 months after immunization. During the 6-month study no clinical or serologic evidence of disease exacerbation occurred in either group. We conclude that pneumococcal vaccine can be safely and successfully administered to patients with Sjögren's syndrome.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

A radioimmunoassay for immunologic phenomena in pneumococcal disease and for the antibody response to pneumococcal vaccines. I. Method for the radioimmunoassay of anticapsular antibodies and comparison with other techniques.

A radioimmunossay is described which uses a 14C biosynthetically internally labeled antigen. This modified Farr technique has been standardized by quantitative precipitation and compared with hemagglutination and mouse protection. Specificity was established by use of heterologous hyperimmune sera and by use of unlabeled pneumococcal polysaccharides for inhibition. Reproducibility has been evaluated for different preparations of antigens and varying storage conditions of sera. The system has been applied to a wide variety of studies requiring analysis of human and animal sera.

Animals↗